All that glitters is not Silver
by Isaviel
Summary: Jim Hawkins is now captain of his own ship The Prevail. His life has become gentle and peaceful until one day a young woman appears on his ship desperate for his help and he is thrown once again into a life of conspiracy, murder and piracy.
1. An Introduction

An Introduction  
  
Louisa Smollett stared at the grand ship before her. The Prevail bobbed gently up and down in the quiet waters of the Bristol dock. It's helm, a dark mahogany colour was well looked after and little more than a few clumps of seaweed clung to the wood. The sails flapped lifelessly in the wind, unfortunately bad weather for any sailor as the wind wasn't strong enough.  
As Louisa gazed across the deck of the ship she watched the crew hurry to their duties. Just looking at one man climb up the rigging made her stomach go funny. She saw a tall, middle aged man standing by the railing on the port side of the boat. He was dressed finely in a rich blue uniform, conventional of the Royal Navy. Deciding he must be the first mate she decided this would be a good time to go aboard and introduce herself.  
The first mate noticed her within seconds and looked at her quizzically- he had never, in his fifteen years of sailing, seen a woman come aboard a ship like the Prevail. He started to walk towards her to offer assistance. Perhaps she was lost, or perhaps she needed help. He couldn't guess. From looking at her expensive clothing he knew she couldn't be after a job, which was becoming more and more usual.  
"Can I help you, ma'am" he asked kindly. A gust of wind decided to steal Louisa's bonnet and began to lift it right of her head. She firmly clamped her gloved hand on her head and smiled, slightly embarrassed.  
"I would like to speak to Captain Hawkins, it's very important." She stepped onto the deck and removed her hand from her head. The wind seemed to have learnt its lesson and did not pick up.  
"He's in his office right now. If you wait here I will see if he will see you."  
"Oh, thank you."  
"What name shall I give?"  
" Smollett, Miss Louisa Smollett."  
"I'll just be a second, Miss Smollett." The first mate walked off. A few members of the crew were looking at her curiously but when they saw that she knew they were watching they hastily turned away. A small boy, little older than twelve whistled as he went about his work cleaning the railings. Louisa guessed him to be a cabin boy.  
" Excuse me," she called to the boy. He stopped whistling. " How long have you worked for Captain Hawkins?"  
" Nearly a year now, miss."  
"What do you think of him?"  
"He's a good man. He's strict though, but not cruel. My old Cap'n was cruel, he used to give me ten lashings if I weren't quick enough."  
"Does Captain Hawkins ever use violence?"  
"Only on mutineers and pirates. I've never actually met a pirate. But I wish I could. I'd show 'em what for."  
"What's your name?"  
" Peter, miss."  
"Miss Smollett," the first mate had returned. Louisa turned back to him. " Captain Hawkins will see you now. Follow me." 


	2. A fiery couple

A fiery couple  
  
The Captain's office was unusually small, for such a large ship. It might actually have been bigger, Louisa could not really tell because of the numerous stacks of paper, maps and books everywhere. It wasn't untidy though-just organised mess. Her father's study was pretty much the same at home. Perhaps it was a sailor thing.  
Amongst the stacks of paper stood a large wooden desk, also covered in maps and papers. Behind the desk sat a handsome man, Louisa assumed him to be Captain Hawkins. She let her eyes linger on him a little too long to be polite, luckily he didn't seem to notice. His eyes were fixed on the map he held in his hands. She straightened a crease out of her dress and then coughed gently to get his attention.  
He looked up like a startled animal. His brown eyes, wide and searching. He put the map down and stood up.  
"I do apologise, Captain Jim Hawkins. You must be Miss Smollett."  
"Louisa Smollett, Captain Hawkins." He out-stretched his hand; she out-stretched hers and instead of having her hand kissed as she was used to Captain Hawkins held her hand in a firm handshake.  
"Please sit down, Miss Smollett," Jim Hawkins said gesturing towards the fine wooden chair in front of the desk. Its velvet seat was dark green and matched nicely with the office. Louisa couldn't believe she was noticing a thing like fabric colours at a time like this. Then, she had been slightly taken a back. She never imagined that a sailor would co ordinate colours on his ship. She sat down, removed her hat and gloves and watched as Captain Hawkins sat down in front of her. "Are you by any chance related to Captain Abraham Smollett?"  
"I'm his eldest daughter, Captain Hawkins. And my father is the reason I have come to you."  
"Is there something wrong? He's not ill is he?"  
"No, not ill. Something much more dreadful has happened." Louisa felt her lip tremble. Talking about what had happened upset her. She hoped her emotions were not showing; she didn't want to look weak in front of Captain Hawkins. "He's been kidnapped. It happened a couple of nights ago. It was late in the evening. My sister, Charlotte was putting my little brother Joseph to bed and I was tending to my mother, for she is ill at the moment with influenza. My father was working in his study, like normal. Suddenly there was an almighty crash downstairs. I ran to the stairs in time to see a group of rough men marching through the hallway. I quickly turned and hurried to my brother's bedroom to tell my brother and sister to hide, then locked the door to my mama's room before heading downstairs. I found my mother's dagger on the desk in the hallway. Holding it tightly in my hand I crept to my father's study. There was a lot of noise inside, and crashes where things kept getting knocked over." Louisa paused for a second; Captain Hawkins had leaned forward in interest. " I'm afraid to admit that I was terrified. I didn't know what to do. I summoned all my courage and opened the door. My presence seemed to startle the men inside and for a brief second I could see my father lying on the floor, bleeding and only just conscious. Then it all happened so quickly. A man pushed me into the wall and I hit my head. I fell to the floor and blacked out, it couldn't have been for more than a few seconds but the men had gone. I ran out through the open front door and chased after them, all the while calling for help. I managed to see my father being carried across the deck of a ship- The Doubloon- to a man with one leg who I recognised from my father's descriptions as-"  
"Long John Silver," interrupted Captain Hawkins.  
"Yes. What do you think they kidnapped him for?"  
" I can only guess Flint's treasure. I don't think Long John Silver will ever rest until he gets his murdering hands upon that treasure."  
"But I thought the treasure was lost in the accident."  
"That was never true. Captain Smollett and I sailed back to the island and buried the treasure in a new location. To stop anyone getting it."  
"How would Long John Silver know though?"  
"That I don't know. But I do know I must do whatever I can to get your father back. That man ensured I had a future and I'm not letting any harm come to him."  
"Thank you ever so much. You were the only person I could think of asking for help."  
" I'm glad you have asked me. I wouldn't like to think that no one was doing anything." Captain Hawkins was looking at Louisa as though he were trying to impress her, as men often do when trying to get a lady's attention.  
"I just have one last request."  
"Yes."  
"Take me with you."  
" Are you serious?" Captain Hawkins' tone of voice changed completely, to one of mocking curiosity.  
"Absolutely."  
" I don't suppose you have ever sailed on a ship before have you, Miss Smollett?"  
" I don't see how that has anything to do with this," Louisa's voice rose in anger. Captain Hawkins was treating her like an imbecile, as though he was vastly superior to her and so she should be treated like a child.  
" I haven't the time to be babysitting you."  
"Babysitting! I am perfectly capable of looking after myself, Captain Hawkins. I insist you take me with you, you can't just leave me here. They've taken my father and I am going to help get him back." By this time both Captain Hawkins and Louisa had risen to their feet and were staring at each other fiercely. A period of silence passed as they each glared at each other.  
"Fine," Captain Hawkins surrendered. " Fine, come along. But don't expect me to chase after you when you get sea sick, or when you skin is stinging from salt spray. I have more important things to deal with."  
  
"Like playing at being big bad Captain Hawkins, the Pirate Hater." Captain Hawkins looked as though an insult back to Louisa was sitting on the tip of his tongue but he didn't say anything so Louisa spoke again. "When will we set sail then?"  
"Tomorrow morning at the earliest."  
"I'll be back then, good day Mr Hawkins." With that Louisa left before Captain Hawkins could say another word. How dare he speak to her like that? Like she was some idiotic child. She didn't know how she was going to put up with him on the long voyage. He was so pompous! She would have to put up with him though, for her father's sake. Her cheeks were still flushed red with anger as she said good bye to the cabin boy Peter and left the ship. 


	3. Memories

Captain Jim Hawkins pulled numerous maps from his cupboard. His movements were tense. He was angry with himself for talking to Miss Smollett the way he had. Something about her just made him behave so ridiculously. As he stared at each map in turn all he could see was her face. Her deep blue eyes, her perfect skin, her scarlet lips. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen and he wanted her ever so badly.  
  
Once she knew what he was really like Louisa Smollett wouldn't even give one thought to him. Once she knew that beneath an exterior which promoted money and high social class through his uniform, Jim Hawkins was still the same barely educated inn keeper's son she probably wouldn't even remember his name.  
  
He could read and write but he couldn't do any other fancy things like other men. He couldn't speak French or Spanish. He had no knowledge of industry or business. He wasn't even a permanent part of the Navy. He had only helped them for a few months with some goods that needed trading and the uniform had been borrowed. Tomorrow morning he would be back to his normal, shabby, poor self. Then what would Louisa think? He laughed scornfully at himself. Louisa wouldn't care about him. She only needed him to get her father back.  
  
Finally his fingers touched the rough paper he had been searching for. The oldest map stored in his cupboard. The paper was thick and yellow, the edges ripped, and stained and burned. This was it; Billy Bones' treasure map.  
  
Jim hadn't thought about the map for years. It had been forgotten behind newer maps, ones that offered hope and rewards. Billy Bones' map however promised nothing but piracy and death. Fear surged through Jim's body as he thought of that fateful voyage. He realised they had set sail from this very port exactly 16 years ago. Perhaps the timing wasn't a coincidence, you never knew with Silver.  
  
Jim spread the map on his desk. Only the original directions had been drawn onto the map. The current resting-place of the treasure had not been added, for fear anyone would find the map. The only two places the location could be found were in the memories of Captain Abraham Smollett and himself.  
  
Jim lay awake in his bed late that night. Every time he closed his eyes he was bombarded by images. Some pleased his senses, pictures of his mother and father living happily at the old Admiral Benbow, pictures of Louisa smiling. Others however made him want to recoil. Dark images of Long John Silver's smug grin as he came across the treasure, the blood oozing from dead pirates and the gold. All the pain and suffering just for metal.  
  
Eventually, fed up with tossing and turning Jim got out of bed. The Prevail was rolling around but so many long years at sea had seemed to have made Jim immune to its movements.  
  
He climbed up in the rigging towards the crow's nest. Even in the dim moonlight he found he did not have to concentrate at looking where he was going. His hands and feet automatically found the perfect places to go and he had reached the small wooden platform in under a minute.  
  
His eyes searched the cloudless sky dotted with small diamonds. His eyes came to rest on the one glowing the most brilliant. A familiar voice sounded deep within his memory.  
  
"Me, I sail by the stars Jim."  
  
"Find me north out there Jim."  
  
"That there be Polaris. Even in the China Sea it still shines in the north."  
  
As Jim stood there leaning against the wooden railing he mustered all his strength to fight back the anger welling up like a blazing fire inside him. He had been betrayed. He had never wanted to see Long John Silver again and now he was sailing after him.  
  
When the nights were crystal clear like now he was haunted by memories of the one legged pirate and he tried to escape but no amount or rum could banish the horrors, which terrorised his mind late at night. Not one night went by when he didn't see Long John's face staring at him. Laughing at him.  
  
The next time they met one of them was going to die. If Silver didn't kill him first Jim was going to rid himself of him forever. He was going to finally be free. 


End file.
